The present invention relates to a new and distinct Cynodon dactylon variety.
The new variety is the result of a spontaneous mutation of a common, unnamed, and unpatented couch grass (Cynodon dactylon) growing on the property of the inventor at Collaroy Plateau, New South Wales, Australia. The new variety was propagated vegetatively through four generations. The varietal denomination of the new variety is xe2x80x98Plateauxe2x80x99.
There is an ongoing need worldwide, and in particular in the United States of America, for turf grass varieties which are hard wearing, low in maintenance, which provide good ground cover, are of low growing height with a prostrate spreading habit, high sward density, medium to low seed head production and lustrous coloration. Such varieties find particular use on golf courses, bowling greens, parks, playing fields, as well as in domestic and commercial settings.
The parent of xe2x80x98Plateauxe2x80x99, an unnamed couch grass seedling, is a representative example of generic couch grass widely grown and used in domestic lawns, in golf courses, and in parks. As described hereinafter xe2x80x98Plateauxe2x80x99 is an advantageous turf grass species in many respects over and above commercial grass species, and common unnamed which grass is represented by the parent.
The new variety of Cynodon dactylon, xe2x80x98Plateauxe2x80x99, exhibits low growing height, prostrate spreading habit, prostrate shoot growth, short internode length, high sward density, wide stolon to rhizome width ratio, and medium seed head frequency, amongst other characteristics herein described which distinguish the subject variety from presently available commercial turf grass varieties.
Under wide climatic conditions, for example, in coastal areas of California, inland areas and in temperate and less temperate conditions, green color quality, and good cover/sword density can be maintained throughout the year. The new variety is vegetatively propagated from sod, plugs, tillers or stolons and rhizome pieces. Asexual propagation by rhizome and tillers in various commercial growing trials in Narrabeen, New South Wales, Australia has demonstrated that the combination of characteristics of the new variety are transmitted through successive propagations.
The most similar variety known to the inventor is the variety xe2x80x98Riley""s Super Sportxe2x80x99, the subject of U.S. Plant Pat. No. 1,181 issued Jan. 18, 2000 which forms a dense turf of low growing height. Another comparator is the variety xe2x80x98Greenlees Parkxe2x80x99 which is a widely available commercial variety of the same species and which is the parent of xe2x80x98Riley""s Super Sportxe2x80x99. xe2x80x98Plateauxe2x80x99 differs from xe2x80x98Riley""s Super Sportxe2x80x99 in that it has less frequent nodes, medium to low seed head frequency, longer leaves, narrower stolons and thicker rhizomes. xe2x80x98Plateauxe2x80x99 differs from xe2x80x98Greenlees Parkxe2x80x99 in that is has a low growing height, prostrate shoot growth, shorter internode length, high sward density, wide stolon to rhizome width ratio, and medium to low seed head frequency.